


I Have to Be

by Kayluh1915



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Anxiety Attacks, Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Rhett's such a good husband Y'all, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, emotional distress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-01-14 23:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18486439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayluh1915/pseuds/Kayluh1915
Summary: When Link receives some bad news from his family back in North Carolina, he falls into his usual unhealthy coping habits with Rhett by his side.





	I Have to Be

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't my first fic for this fandom, but it's been years so it somewhat feels like it. Either way, I hope you guys enjoy my return fic! Comments are always encouraged and welcomed! <3
> 
> You can also follow me on my Tumblr [@Rhink4days](https://rhink4days.tumblr.com/) for gifs that I try to make every other day or when something Gay™ happens. I also make edits and write fics like this one. Check it out if you'd like! :D

Rhett was sleeping peacefully when he was suddenly awoken by his dog, Barbra. She had jumped up onto the California King bed to finally call it a night and laid down in her usual spot below his feet. He rose up slightly to make sure that she was comfortable as he normally did before going back to sleep; but when he saw that Jade was missing from her spot on the other side, he didn’t lay back down. He instead looked over to the right side of the bed and clicked his tongue with a soft sigh. The sheets were still neatly made just as they had been when he went to bed. Shaking his head, Rhett reached over to the nightstand and turned on the lamp, filling the room with a warm, yellow glow. Barbra squinted at the sudden light, but soon curled back up into her ball while Rhett lazily tapped the screen on his phone to check the time. 2:23am. He sighed again before raising up and putting his feet on the floor, sleepily rubbing at his face with his right hand. After slipping on his house shoes, he stood up and stretched a bit with a few protesting cracks from his back. Barbra rose up again and looked disappointed that Rhett had gotten up after she had gotten comfortable. Rhett pat her head as he walked by.

“I’ll be back, Barb.” He whispered to her. Despite this, she got up from the bed and followed Rhett down the hall and down the stairs. Rhett didn’t really pay her any mind. It was rare that she ever listened to him anyway. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he turned towards the dining room and stopped dead in his tracks when he found the person he was looking for fast asleep at their dining table. He was resting his head atop their finance notebook, pens and important documents scattered around him along with a calculator that had fallen to the table when he had dozed off. Rhett also noticed that his dinner plate was sitting on the other side of the table looking as if it had barely touched. Shaking his head a second time, Rhett walked over to him and placed his hands on the smaller shoulders, shaking them lightly.

“Link…” Nothing. Rhett shook him again, a bit more abrupt this time. “Link...” He sleepily moaned and lolled his head towards Rhett’s voice, keeping his eyes closed.

“Mmmmm?”

“Darlin’, it’s 2:30 in the morning. You promised me you wouldn’t over do it.” Link raised his head from his arms and stretched a bit before taking off his glasses to rub at his eyes.

“Shoot, I’m sorry. Guess I just lost track of time.” Rhett felt a pain in his heart when he saw the bags heavy underneath Link’s eyes. That day had already been quite a handful for the two of them, but the call that Link had got received that evening made it so much worse. His dad had early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and would in time begin to forget everything… even Link. Suddenly, the internet being out at the office with major technical errors that sat them back two days suddenly didn’t seem so severe. Rhett gently grabbed Link’s forearm and gestured for him to stand.

“C’mon. You need your rest.” Link followed his gesture but protested as he did.

“I was restin’. I was about to get up and finish planning for next wee-.”

“Stevie can take care of that,” Rhett interrupted. “I think you’ve done enough for tonight. You’re exhausted and even skipped dinner.” Link looked over to his abandoned plate and then down to the floor.

“I wasn’t hungry.” This is how Link copes with stressful situations. With skipping meals and burying himself in work to the point of exhaustion. Though Rhett was used to his unhealthy coping habits after 35+ years, it never got easier for him to see Link in distress.

“It’s okay, Bo.” Rhett cooed, placing a kiss to Link’s forehead. “Go on up stairs and get into bed. I’ll be up there in a bit.” Link nodded walked past Rhett to pick up Jade from where she was sleeping in her nearby doggy bed and trotted up the stairs with Barbra hot on his heels. Rhett tidied Link’s work area and cleaned up the forgotten dinner plate as fast as possible so he could get back upstairs to Link. Without work to distract his mind, he was bound to start dwelling on the phone call he received from his mother earlier that day which in turn would cause his anxiety to spike and Rhett wanted to be there right by his side if it did. Once finished, Rhett nearly jogged up the stairs and into their shared bedroom. Link was laying on his back, blankly staring up at the ceiling and held his gaze there until Rhett climbed into bed next to him.

“You okay?” Rhett asked, his voice coming out in a low rumble. Link looked into Rhett’s eyes for a moment before answering him.

“I have to be.” Rhett sat there for a moment to see if Link wanted to talk about it, but silence was the only thing that answered him. With a heavy sigh, he reached over and turned off their nightstand lamp and snuggled back under the sheets knowing that he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all for worrying about Link. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he felt Link begin to shake next to him. It started as a little twitch from his leg or arm but has now progressed into full body tremors as if he were freezing to death. Rhett knew right away that Link was having an anxiety attack just like he knew he would. He always hated to see Link in so much discomfort, but he was glad that he was here to help his husband through it just like he had so many times before. Rhett rose up and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying his best not to startle him.

“Link?” Link didn’t answer. Instead, he turned around and nearly jumped into Rhett’s arms, his body shaking vigorously with tears coming down his face. Rhett held him as tight as he could and lightly pet his hair.

“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay. I’m here.” Link halted his sobs only to catch his breath and let out a pitiful wail that broke Rhett’s heart into two. “It’s okay. It’s alright. Just let it all out.” He held Link tight in his arms for a good while before he finally began to calm down. Link was still sniffling a bit but was no longer crying as hard as he had been. Rhett’s shirt was wet with Link’s tears, but he could care less as he played with the strands of his salt and peppered hair.

“Feeling better?” Link only nodded on his chest, taking a deep breath as he did so. Soon enough, Link had fallen sound asleep on Rhett’s chest, his mouth agape with small snores escaping. Rhett leaned down and kissed his head before finally laying down himself, hoping the weekend would come sooner rather than later.


End file.
